Capel Interviewed with Oklahoma w/out VCU Knowing

[Wolfpack Ram]

There is an article in this week's ESPN magazine about executive search consultants ("Big Men Off Campus"). The article is about Dan Parker, an executive recruiter from Atlanta. The article mentions Capel meeting with Oklahoma while he was still the coach at VCU. Here is a quote from the article:

"I met with Oklahoma twice," says Capel. "And nobody at VCU or any other coach knew."

The article talks about several other college coaching hires. It definitely is all about the $.

 

[ramramthankyoumaam]

Isn't that illegal?

 

[rammed]

How is going on a job interview illegal? It may be "unethical" by college athletic standards where there is an explicit understanding that schools request permission to talk to coaches of other schools, but I don't see how it would be illegal.

 

[artRAMinMN]

it wouldn't be illegal in the sense of being criminal, but it could be legally actionable as tortious interference with contract

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortious_interference (yeah, it's wiki, but it's free and written to be understood by laymen )

Since it's a civil action, the wronged party would have to file suit ...in this case that means VCU would have to do the suing... but while there may be an action in theory, if it was pursued, odds are we'd find ourselves blacklisted and/or retaliated against in lots of backroom/backbiting ways for rocking the boat since that's just the way things seem to be done these days ...most of the time, business realities trump legal technicalities

 

[ramramthankyoumaam]

I felt like it might be a contractual violation, thanks for the clarification. If I'm not mistaken Anthony Grant asked the administration to speak to Billy Donovan when he left FL, as well as with Alabama prior to his leaving so as not to violate that portion of his contract.

 

[artRAMinMN]

I felt like it might be a contractual violation, thanks for the clarification. If I'm not mistaken Anthony Grant asked the administration to speak to Billy Donovan when he left FL, as well as with Alabama prior to his leaving so as not to violate that portion of his contract.

it would depend on each contract's specific language and where a contract was silent/left out details, then those gaps are filled in by various principles, including standard industry customs... it can get kinda fuzzy

I would guess that a lot, if not most, of the asking permission song and dance is done as a combination of courtesy, preservation of reputation and business relationship, and CYA against interference/tampering liability, and is probably more about playing it safe than it is following a contract to the letter

 

[Mistachill]

I thought everybody already knew this. That's the reason these schools use search firms.

Actually I'd prefer to handle it the way Capel did than to have our coach paraded around Alabama's campus and have the video online for the world to see. I always felt that was a bit of a slap in our face.

 

[Mercury]

I thought everybody already knew this. That's the reason these schools use search firms.

Actually I'd prefer to handle it the way Capel did than to have our coach paraded around Alabama's campus and have the video online for the world to see. I always felt that was a bit of a slap in our face.

Capel cared about VCU Grant didnt

 

[VCU Finance 2008]

I thought everybody already knew this. That's the reason these schools use search firms.

Actually I'd prefer to handle it the way Capel did than to have our coach paraded around Alabama's campus and have the video online for the world to see. I always felt that was a bit of a slap in our face.

Capel cared about VCU Grant didnt

I don't agree with that. They both did basically the same thing in leaving for another job. Fans have just had more time to heal since Capel left. Although we may have been burned at the end, I think they both cared about VCU just not as much as they cared about themselves. It would be naive to expect any thing else of them, but at the same time it would be nice for them to show a little bit of appreciation. However if Grant's record had been 25-76 rather than the other way around there is no way we would have kept him around for a fourth season either, so how could we expect him to stay after that much success. That is just the nature of the beast right now.

 

[unitedram]

The only person that has to know is the Athletic Director (Dick Sander at the time) if I'm not mistaken since he has to give the other school permission to speak to the coach. But other than that, this is nothing new. Most people did not learn until late the night before he was going to be announced at OU on ESPN.com (or at least that's how I learned).

 

[ShoeSh1ne]

Or so he THINKS nobody knew.

 

[VRam]

There are a lot of things that go on that violate contracts. However, you still have to prove damages. Litigation is costly and damages under the circumstances are difficult to prove (and it's Plaintiff's burden to prove them). That's why the schools work things out and/or include buyout provisions in contracts. It's often sleazy and unethical, but what can you do.

 

[Natty]

Coach Grant is a tough one to read...that said, I do think he cared about this program a ton. While it was incredibly painful to watch him tour Alabama's campus...I still thought we had a shot at keeping him. Capel basically just left under the cover of night without telling any of his players.

Either way, I hope Coach Smart goes undefeated against both those guys.

 

[Mistachill]

Bingo!

The only person that has to know is the Athletic Director (Dick Sander at the time) if I'm not mistaken since he has to give the other school permission to speak to the coach. But other than that, this is nothing new.

 

[xjohnx]

The only person that has to know is the Athletic Director (Dick Sander at the time) if I'm not mistaken since he has to give the other school permission to speak to the coach. But other than that, this is nothing new. Most people did not learn until late the night before he was going to be announced at OU on ESPN.com (or at least that's how I learned).

The AD has to know if another school is going to be contacting our coach directly. He does NOT have to be informed if our coach is contacted by a recruiting firm hired by another school.